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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet i.

H. SOULEN. SLIDNG DOOR TRACK AND HANGER.

lzisined Mar. 27, 1888.

Wf'fz essa- N. PETERS Phnw-Limognpher. wnbmgwn. D. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

H. SOULBN. y SLIDING DOOR TRAGK AND HANGER'.

UNITED STATES PATENT HENRY SOULEN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TOTHE IVILIJIAM LUITINK St SONS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SLIDING-DOOR TRACK AND HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380.299, dated March27, 1888.

Serial No. 243327. (No modehi To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY SoULEN, ofthe city and county of Milwaukee andState of TWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Sliding-Door Tracks and Hangers; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The objects of my invention are, first, to maintain the adjustment ofthe track whereby the doors are caused to make a perfect joint with eachother when closed and to cause their edges to stand flush or parallelwith the side jambs or door-frame when they are withdrawn into thepockets in the wall or partition; second, to facilitate setting thetrack in nished walls or partitions without breaking the plaster ormutilating the nish; and, third, to prevent the binding and facilitatethe working of the doors.

It consists, essentially, of a track-box provided with rails for thehanger-wheels to run upon, supported at the sides of the door-openingand at the center of the opening, (when used with double doors) andsustained at the end which projects into the pocket by a truss rodprovided with an adjusting-nut accessible through the opening betweenthe headjambs, of interchangeable pocket-pieees,and of other featureshereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts inthe several iigures.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of one section of myimproved sliding door track. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on anenlarged scale, taken on the line may, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similarsection of one side of the track on the line y y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is alike section on the linea z, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is medial longitudinalsection, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line w w, Fig. 4, of theadjacent ends of the track-sections, the coupling and central adjustingdevice, and a portion of a door and hanger. Fig. 6 is a detail in sideelevation of one of the pocket-pieces. Fig. 7 is a section on the line oc, Fig. 4,

showing in plan the central track connecting and adjusting device. Fig.8 is a horizontal section on the line r r, Fig. 4, showing a plan viewofthe central track-support and doorstop. Figs. 9 and l0 are details ofa modified form of the track-supports employed at the Sides of thedoor-opening, and Fig. ll is a plan view of one of the door-plates forthe attachment of the hanger. i

Since for double doors the trackbox is made in two sections which arejoined at the center of the door-opening and are exactly alike, but onesection is shown complete inthe drawings. One of thesesections may beadapted by slight modifications for use with a single door.

Referring to the drawings, A A represent the track-boxes, each composedof a top and two sides, to the lower edges of which are secured on theinside of the box the rails a a. Each of these boxes (when two areemployed for double doors) is supported at or near the sides of thedoor-opening just inside of the jambs by brackets E E, screwed to thestudding N N, and by adjusting-bolts e e, which are formed on the heads,with an nular flanges resting upon' said brackets E E, and engage andwork with nuts e'e, attached to the lower edges of the boxes A'A oneach'side thereof. These brackets E and bolts c serve as ful erums,uponwhich the boxes may be adjusted, so as to elevate or depress either end,as desired.

C C are yokes attached one to each box A near the center adjacent to thesupportingbrackets E. Ihese yokes C C are formed on the upper sidedirectly over the center of the boxes with upwardlyextending perforatedears or bridges c c, and extending over and 'embracing the sides of saidboxes to prevent the spreading of the rails a a..

To the ends of the boxes A A, at the center of the upper side thereof,are secured perfo rated ears D D. Each box A is provided with atruss-rod, B, inserted at the ends through the perforated ears D D andextending over or through the bridge c, near the middle of the box. Atthe end adjacent to the center of the door-opening each of thetruss-rods is threaded and provided with a circular nut, b, the rim ofwhich is notched, so as to be turned by a screw-driver or other suitableinstrument inserted through the opening between the head IOO jambsP l?and track-rails. The truss-rod is held in the ears D at the opposite endof the box by a head or nut. Adjacent to each yoke C the boxes A A aretransversely cut through the top and side, as at a', Fig. 1, down to therails a a, so as to render them flexible at those points.

At the'center of the double door opening is secured to the headers N'N', by means of screws r r', the cross-piece K, as shown in Figs. 4 and8, which is perforated at the center and recessed on the under side toreceive the head-flange of the adj usting-bolt I. perforated plate KQbolted or riveted to the under side of said cross-piece K, ret-ains theadjusting-bolt I therein and furnishes a fixed bearing therefor, theslotted head of said bolt being exposed below through the opening insaid plate.

Directly above the cross-piece K a yoke, J, formed with a central nut toreceive and work with the adjusting-bolt I, is attached to and connectsthe adjacent ends of the boxes A A. The rails a a are cut off, so as toallow the insertion of the hanger-wheels F' F between them, and theopening thus formed is closed and the track made continuous by theinsertion of the interchangeable pocket-pieces L L, which are T-shapedin crosssection and held in corresponding grooves cut in the ends of therails c a,-Figs. 4 andv. The cross-piece K is grooved or recessed on theedges, and between it and the plate K are inserted rubber cushions clk,against which the hanger-yokes strike, thereby stopping the doors at thecenter of the opening.

M represents a portion of one of the doors, andFFthehanger yokes orframes formed with cylindrical or rounded tenons which are insertedinsimilarlyshaped grooves in the plates G G attached to the top of thedoor.

ff are the rider-bars secured in the upper ends of the yokes F F andresting upon the `axles of the hanger-wheels F F. The roundedA tenons on.the bases of yokes F and the grooves in the door-plates G are madetapering or conical and the yokes secured in said plates byscrews g g,tapped into the ends of said .plates and bearing` at their heads orthrough ininterposed washers against the larger ends of said tenons.rIhe yokes, which work with stops 7c 7c,bein g inserted into the groovedplates G G, from the inner edges ofthe doors, are thusv .prevented frombeing loosened by the closing of the doors against said-stops. l

P I? represent the door-jambs, pp the stops, and Q Q the casiugs, of theusual construction and arrangement.

Referring to Figs. 9 and l0, illustrating a modification of the devicefor supporting the track at the sides of'the door-opening, O is a slidepivoted to the lower edge of t-he box A and resting upon thewedge S,which is grooved to receive and guide a tongue formed on the under sideof said slide, and in turn 'rests upon a shoulder cut into the adjacentstud N.

The setting, adjustment, and operation of The i my improved track andhanger may be de' scribed as follows:

The brackets E E are attached to the studding adjacent to the sides ofthe door-opening, at or near the top thereof, the boxes inserted in thewall between the studding,and the heads of the bolts e e placed in theopenings in said brackets. The hanger-wheels are then introduced intothe track-box through the pocketopenings in the rails a a, thepocket-pieces L L dropped into said openings in engagement with thegrooves in the adjacent ends of said rails, and the yoke J attached tothe sides of the boxsections. The adj usting-screw I is then turned intothe central nut in said yoke J, and the cross-piece K, in which the headof said bolt bears, is secured at each eud to the headers N N' on eachside of the pocketopening in the wall. The doors are carefully andaccurately joined -on their upper-edges and the grooved plates G Gattached thereto. lThe tenons on the hanger-yokes F F are then .insertedendwise into the grooves in said plates G G, and the hangerframes adjustthemselves to a position parallel with the faces of the doors, when theweight of the doors is sus! pended by said yokes upon the axles of thehanger-wheels F F. When properly adj usted, by turning the cylindricaltenons in the grooves of the door-plate each hanger-frameis secured inits proper position by tightening the screw g, which wedges the taperingtenons snugly into the grooves in said door-plates,and thereby preventsthe hanger-frame from turning laterally.

To place my improved track in finished walls or partitions requiressimply the removal of the doorjan1b and occasionally the cutting away ofthe studding in the pockets to receive the track-boxes. The ease withwhich my track may be placed in finished wallswithout injury theretoconstitutes one of its chief advantages. Having been set in position, asdescribedthe track is leveled by turningthe central adj usting-bolt, I,which raises or lowers the inner ends of the track boxes or sections atthe center of the door-opening, as required, and the opposite ends ofthe box-sec IOO IIO

tions in the pockets are then broughtinto line with that portion of thetrack or box between the sides of the door-opening, or the cuts a a. atthe middle of each box-section, by turning the adjusting-nuts b b, whichoperate through the truss-rods B B to elevate or depress the oppositeends of the track, as required. yIf necessary, the entire track may beraised vor lowered by turning the adjustingbolts e. e, upon which thebox-sections are supported adjacent to the side jambs, or the saineresult may be accomplished when the device illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10is employed, by moving the wedges S longitudinally, so as to raiseorlower the blocks O. Either side of the trackbox, with the rail aattached thereto, may be raised or lowered to adjust it to the level ofthe other side o r rail by means of theadjust- As heretofore constructedthe pocket-pieces have required independent fastenings to hold themiuplace 5 but my improved pocket-pieces, formed with central vertical websor iianges, which, dropped from aboveinto corresponding grooves in theends of the rails a a, require no separate fastenings and possess theadvantage of being interchangeable and being more easily and quicklyset. Whenever, by the Warping or settling of the walls, the trackbecomes distorted and the do'ors work imperfectly they can be readilyreadjusted, by means of the adjusting-bolt I and the adj Listing-nuts?)b,with out disturbing the door frame or casings. The ends of the trackbox and rails in the pockets being adjustable independently of thatportion of the box-sections or track directly above the door-openingpermit of the adjustment of the track, so as to cause the doors whenclosed to meet and form a perfect joint with each other, and their inneredges to stand flush or parallel with t-he side jambs when they areopened and Withdrawn into the pockets. By constructing the centralcross-support, K, and providing it, as described, with cushions k k',the stops ordinarily attached to the outer edges of each door aredispensed with.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. l and 5 that the yokes F F next tothe stop K are formed with shoulders or offsets which pass closely undersaid stop, and thereby prevent the inner edges of the doors from jumpingup and the bottoms from clearing the pockets and tloor-guides when thedoors are run violently against said stop.

I claim-- l. The combinatioii,with a sliding door and its hangers, of atrack and trussrod attached to the ends of said track and provided atone end with an adj usting-nut, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

2. The combi natiomwith a sliding door and its hangers, of averticallyadjustable track supported at the middle and at one end, atruss rod attached to the ends of said track and passing over a bridgeat an intermediate point thereof, and au adjusting-nut applied to oneend of said trussrod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The eornbinatiomwith asliding door and its hangers, of a trackboxprovided with rails for the hanger-wheels, and transversely eut throughthe top and sides at an intermediate point, a truss-rod secured at theends to the ends of said box and passing over a bridge attached theretoadjacent to its transverse cut, and an adjusting-nut applied to one endof said truss-rod, substantially as and for the purposes set fort-b.

4. The combination, with a pair of sliding doors and their hangers, ofapair of track boxes or sections provided with rails for theliaiiger-wlieels and each supported at the side of the door-opening, ayoke connecting said boxes above the center of the doonopening andprovided with a nut, an adjusting-screw having a fixed bearing andworking with said nut, and truss-rods attached at their ends to the endsof said track-boxes, and provided with adjusting-nuts for raising andlowering the outer ends of said track-boxes, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with a sliding door and its hangers, of a track-raiihaving a break or opening for the insertion of the hanger-Wheels andformed at the ends adjacent to said break or opening with T-shapedgrooves or recesses, and a removable pocketpicce formed at the ends withsimilarly-shaped tongues or danges adapted to enter said grooves fromabove and retain said pocket-piece in place to bridge said break oropening and forni an unbroken way for said hanger-wheels, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with sliding doors and their hangers, of a track-boxprovided on the inside with rails for the hanger-wheels and composed oftwo sections, a yoke or plate connecting said sections above the centerof the door-opening and formed with a nut, a fixed cross-support securedunderneath said yoke, and an adjusting-bolt journaled in saidcrosssupport and working with the nut in said yoke, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth. v'

7. The combination, with a sliding door and its track,'of hanger-wheelsadapted to run on said track, a hanger-yoke formed with a tenon roundedin cross-section, and a door-plate attached to the upper edge of thedoor and formed with a corresponding groove for the reception of saidtenen, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination, with a pair of sliding doors and their hangers, of atrack-box coniposed of two sections connected above the center of thedoor-opening, and each supported at the sides of the door-opening uponvertical adjusting bolts, and each provided with a truss-rod attachedthereto at the ends and furnished with an adjusting-nut. and a verticaladj usting-bolt working above the center of the door-opening with saidbox andthe tired snp port, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

9. The combination, with sliding doors, of a track above thedoor-opening, astop located at or near the center of the upper side ofsaid opening and provided on the opposite sides with elastic cushions,and hangers attached to the upper edges of the doors and formed withshoulders or offsets, which are arranged to pass closely under said stopbefore the movement of the doors is arrested by said stop, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SOULEN.

Witnesses:

Cans. L. Goss, M. E. BENSON.

IOO

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